


What's In A Name

by Azumarocket



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Backstory, Conversations, Gangs, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, Pregnancy, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 16:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13528185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azumarocket/pseuds/Azumarocket
Summary: Butch's soon-to-be parents, struggling to bring him into a functioning household, veer away from the more serious problems they're facing, and tackle an easier one: the matter of his name.(Rating for mild language)





	What's In A Name

**Author's Note:**

> This is originally from 2014, but I decided to give it a rewrite and post it here! I haven't changed much, just sentence structure and that sort of thing so it reads a little more smoothly. I hope you enjoy- thanks for reading!

To say the city was polluted would have been an understatement. Car fumes swam in the air, a persistent fog, and you might as well have had a cigarette for all the second-hand smoke you'd enhale just walking from one end of the street to the other.

Contributing to the aroma of tobacco was a young man called Tyler, clad in a heavy ash trenchcoat that fell just above light grey boots. His cyan hair was uncovered, ruffled by the elements since the quick brush he'd given it that morning.

He blew out a cloud of vapour, watching it for a moment before pushing down the door handle to his apartment.

"Hey," he greeted, stepping into the hallway as his cigarette glowed between gloved fingers.

"Hey yourself," his girlfriend- Jody- replied from another section of the flat, the clarity of her voice impaired by the walls. "I'm in the lounge."

"How's the kid?" Tyler asked as he headed towards the room, stopping to lean against the frame of the doorway. Jody shifted on the sofa so she was facing him.

"Still unborn, if that's what you're getting at," she replied with a smirk. Her brown eyes darkened into a frown as she noticed the cigarette. "Put that thing out, for god's sake," she told him. "I'll be damned if our baby picks up your habit before he's even born."

Tyler sighed, finished the drag he was taking and snuffed out the ember by twisting it against the ashtray atop the nearby cabinet. He proceeded to sink next to Jody, the springs creaking slightly as his weight hit the sponge.

"How was work?" Jody asked, somewhat unenthusiastic.

He shrugged. "Okay. Usual stuff."

"Let me guess- drowning people with cinderblocks? Or just in cement?" Jody suggested, only half-sarcastic.

"More along the lines of paperwork," Tyler chuckled, giving his head an exasperated shake. "What do you think we are, some kind of amateur street gang? It's an organisation, Jo. Professional like."

"Yeah, well, it don't look much like it, not on the news," she muttered, but then sighed, catching the spite in her voice. "Sorry. All the hormones seem to be in full throttle today." She traced a hand over the ever-growing bump on her stomach. "And this little bugger's been kicking me like anything."

"Are you meant to swear when you're pregnant?" Tyler asked, grinning.

Jody snorted. "As if he can understand a word," she said, but patted her abdomen with mock remorse. "Sorry kid. I take it back."

She jumped suddenly, feeling an almighty kick. "Agh- you bastard!" she yelped, laughing.

"I _hope_ he can't hear you."

"You try putting up with nine months of this," Jody shot back, shoving his arm lightly. She let her light green hair down for a moment so that it curtained the top of her shoulders in soft strands, before pulling it back up into a tighter ponytail. She tutted as Tyler shook off his overcoat and draped it across the armchair. "You could at least make more of an effort with hiding... That," she mumbled, pointing to the 'R' on his uniform.

"No one could see," Tyler said. Unconsciously, his fingers moved to his trouser pocket, and began to withdraw a cigarette; he reluctantly stopped himself once he was aware of the action. "Y'know," he started, moving closer to Jody, "they're pretty happy with my performance. Talkin' 'bout a promotion sometime, if things keep going the way they are. I might even go up a rank-"

"-To _chief_ cinderblock drowner," Jody teased, but quickly held her palms up at Tyler's disgruntled frown. "Joking," she giggled. "No, that's great. As soon as I'm done with this little one, I'll go back to working too."

Tyler's amused expression quickly faded, and he looked at her sincerely, grey eyes focused.  
"I know none of this Team Rocket stuff is ideal," he acknowledged quietly, "but at least it gives us some kind of shot. For the kid, too." He reached forwards, running his thumb over her hand. "And it's not bad work, really."

Jody resisted the urge to point out all the hypocrosy in that last statement, instead opting to change the subject. "You thought more about names?" she questioned.

His serious look replaced with one of contemplation, Tyler sucked in air through his teeth, and folded his hands behind his head. "Didn't really get that far," he answered. Five seconds passed, each one narrated by the clock on the mantelpeice, a contraption that seemed to tick irritatingly loudly whenever there was silence enough to hear it. He kept meaning to buy a new one. "What about Laurence?" he proposed eventually. "It's my uncle's name."

Jody raised an eyebrow. "You mean your crazy fairy-type-loving uncle who calls everyone 'hun'? she asked, shaking her head when Tyler nodded his in conformation. "Definitely not."

"It's a good name!" Tyler protested.

"It doesn't suit him."

"How do you know? You haven't met the thing yet!"

"Shaun," she said, eager to move on. "How's that? One syllable, not nursery-rhyme orientated." Jody sealed the pitch with a nod. "Nice and simple."

Tyler paused. "I like it," he admitted, "but I don't know- I was thinking of something more abstract."

"Since when do you care so much about what your offspring's called?" she questioned wearily.

"Hey- Butch," Tyler interrupted. "What about it?"

Jody shot him an odd look. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Dunno," Tyler said. "Uh, heard it on some TV show, I think."

"Oh, great," Jody said, rolling her eyes.

"No, no," he interjected quickly. "I'm not naming him after a programme or anything. It just sounds right, y'know? Butch."

Jody thought for a moment. "It's not bad," she agreed. "At least it's memorable- I can't see people forgetting a name like that."

"Yeah," Tyler concurred with enthusiasm, "and it's not like every other kid's gonna be called the same thing."

After musing his proposal for a little longer, Jody nodded. "All right. We'll make it a candidate, anyway." But as her eyes bore into him, suddenly full of concern, Tyler felt his heart sink as far as it had risen. "Ty... What are we going to tell him?" she asked, her voice soft. "What are you going to do when he's old enough to see that his dad's working for the bad guys?"

If Tyler had known the full gravity his answer would hold, the crushing weight behind it, he would have held his tounge. If he'd had the skill to predict the hurt on Jody's face, he would have let it stay a thought, safely unspoken in his mind.

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem," he said, carefree in his ignorance. "If he grows up to be anything like me, I reckon he'll want to work for 'em too."

 


End file.
